JP Kotzé: The talent that got away... or did it?

Scoring the first-ever century for your country in both white-ball formats is indeed a phenomenal and special feat. Nobody can take that away from you, no matter what happens after that. But what if that’s the only thing you will remember for the rest of your career? Would you take that?

For Namibia’s Jean-Pierre “JP” Kotzé, that was a big no.

Kotzé, who achieved those incredible highs so early in his career, given the talent and promise he had shown, things have certainly taken a massive upward curve as many had expected.

Just three games into his T20I career, which included a ton on debut, there were high expectations from him.

“He’s the most talented cricketer I have played with by far. I can’t wait for the performances he is going to put in in this tournament,” Jan Frylinck, Namibia’s leading T20I wicket-taker, had said of Kotzé ahead of the T20 World Cup Qualifiers in 2019.

“He will be spoken about as one of the most talented players in this tournament,” head coach Pierre de Bruyn further added.

By no stretch of the imagination did Kotzé take the world by storm in that tournament, managing just 124 runs in six innings at a strike-rate of 96.12 as Namibia crashed out in the semi-final stage after losing to Papua New Guinea.

This was certainly not what Namibia would have expected from Kotzé, who, not too long ago, smashed a quick-fire century of 40-odd balls against Botswana back in 2019 on his T20 debut. In fact, in the 22 T20I innings since then, the southpaw has never gone past 39.



RE-DISCOVERING FORM

He has now returned to the fold with the ODI set-up for the Nepal leg of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2. He has not played any 50-over fixtures since the Eagles played Emerging South Africa in April 2021, and his last ODI was in 2020.

Throwing him right into the deep end right away may not be wise, either.

“It’s good to be back. I’m really excited. A lot of hard work has been put in over the last 6-7 months to get back to where I am,” Kotzé told Cricket.com here in Nepal.

“I played my last ODI in Oman in 2020. So very excited to be part of the squad again, to play cricket again. If I get an opportunity in this tournament, I will be taking it with both hands. Really looking forward to playing some cricket again.”

Unfortunately for Kotzé, his ODI return was a painful one. He took 15 balls to get off the mark against the Netherlands at the TU Cricket Stadium, Kirtipur on Monday and eventually had his off-stump hit by spinner Aryan Dutt for a 30-ball 5.

In 2021, Kotzé decided to retire from the game to spend some time with his young family, but reversed his decision the following year ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022.

He played a few games ahead of the tournament and would have potentially been part of Namibia’s historic campaign, but in the end, opted against it.

“I wasn’t available. I was busy with my family. There was no talks [with the team management], I was just unavailable,” Kotzé said.

However, he remains open to playing in the upcoming T20 World Cup, slated to be played in June in the US and West Indies.

“If I get selected, I’ll definitely be available. Will be open to going to the World Cup. It’s still hard work, but I’ll be available if selected.”

While Zane Green, his club mate at WHS Old Boys, remains the Eagles’ incumbent wicketkeeper across formats , his batting, especially in T20s (average 14, SR 97.55 in 46 inns), cannot be brushed under the carpet. That’s potentially where Kotzé could jump in.

However, he is not thinking too far ahead, at least now.

“Currently, I am the back-up ‘keeper in the team. I am open to that; I still enjoy ‘keeping it. Zane has done a really good job since he took over 5-6 years ago. He is a very good keeper, he is a young keeper, he is dynamic, and he fits very nicely in the team. He has cemented his place, but I will take every opportunity I get,” Kotzé explained.



SUPPORT BEHIND THE SCENES

He may not even be in the conversation without the unwavering support of his family. That has been pivotal in his return to the game.

“I must say, they [my family] are very open... I just got my second child now in October. My wife’s very open, my family’s very open to supporting me. It’s difficult to be away from family, but if they support you, It’s much easier to go away to play cricket – to do what you love,” Kotzé said.

Not surprisingly, De Bruyn, who rates Kotzé so highly, has welcomed him with open arms, which has helped the transition much easier.

“He has been supportive, he has helped me out. We have worked on some stuff. Obviously, when you are away from the game for a while, you lose touch. It’s easy to get back if the people support you and help in the nets,” the 29-year-old said.

“All the coaches have helped, and supported my comeback. They’ve helped me in any way they could. They’ve helped me in the nets and at games. I must say, it was an easy transition into the side.”

Having watched Namibia grow from the sidelines has given Kotzé immense joy. Their rise from the lower divisions to beating teams like Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and qualifying for their third T20 World Cup is nothing short of a fairytale.

Kotzé believes that cricket is finally getting its due recognition in Namibia.

“I was just proud, as citizen of the country, seeing where we are. I’ve been part of the lows, but also a lot of highs in this country’s cricket history. I’ve seen them beating big teams, going to World Cups, and anticipating World Cups; it’s been massive,” Kotzé said.

“It’s changed the way people look at cricket in the country, changed the way people want to play cricket in the country. It’s become more lively now at the back of all this success.”

By the looks of it, Kotzé does not seem like someone who wishes to watch from the sidelines. He is hungry, and this time around, he is in for a long haul.

– Cricket.com